Bradley Wiggins wins 2012 Tour de France - BBC Sport BBC Sport Bradley Wiggins wins 2012 Tour de France 22 Jul 2012 Read more about sharing. Bradley Wiggins became the first British rider to win the Tour de France as compatriot Mark Cavendish claimed a fourth consecutive final-stage victory. Wiggins, 32, finished with a winning margin of three minutes and 21 seconds after ending Sunday's race around the streets of Paris in the peloton. Fellow Brit and Team Sky team-mate Chris Froome consolidated second place with Italy's Vincenzo Nibali third.

Wiggins' key Tour moments Stage 7: Finishes third to take yellow jersey for the first time Stage 9: Wins time trial from Arc-et-Senans to Besancon Stage 13: Ensures he will become first Briton to wear yellow jersey for a seventh time Stage 14: Praised for slowing the pace after rival Cadel Evans falls victim to tacks Stage 17: Extends lead over his main rivals during final day in mountains Stage 19: Wins time-trial on penultimate day to all but secure victory Cavendish won the traditional sprint down the Champs Elysees with some ease. The 27-year old from the Isle of Man is unbeaten in Paris, having also won on his three previous Tour finishes in 2009, 10 and 11. He began his sprint early and held off the challenge of the faster-finishing Peter Sagan of Slovakia, with Australia's Matthew Goss third.

It lifted his tally of Tour de France stage wins to 23, to surpass seven-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong and Frenchman Andre Darrigade and move into fourth in the overall stage-win standings, 11 short of Belgian Eddy Merckx's record of 34. But the day belonged to Wiggins, who safely negotiated himself around the streets of Paris, to complete the formalities after Saturday's stunning time-trial victory gave him an almost unassailable lead. The three-time Olympic track champion crossed the line arms raised having helped set up Cavendish's sprint victory in front of thousands of British fans on the Champs Elysees, who had come to witness history being made. Team Sky rider Geraint Thomas "Bradley Wiggins has done something unbelievable by winning the Tour de France, but I know he will be the first to recognise that he would not have been able to achieve his victory without a terrific team behind him" And in winning this year's Tour, Wiggins not only fulfilled a life-long ambition but also sealed his place in the pantheon of cycling greats. "I don't know what to say, I've had 24 hours for it to soak in," said Wiggins.

"I'm still buzzing from the Champs Elysees, the laps go so quick. We had a mission with Cav and we did it. What a way to finish it off. "I've got to get used to that [being a legend in the spotlight], it's going to take a while. I'm just trying to soak it all in. You never imagine it will happen to you but it's amazing." In three demanding weeks, he toiled over the Alps and the Pyrenees to complete the mammoth 20-stage, 2,173-mile race which was in its 99th edition. During his stunning transition from track to road racing, Wiggins finished fourth in the Tour in 2009 - equalling Robert Millar's 1984 British best - before crashing out with a broken collarbone when among the favourites in 2011.

Tour de France stage wins Eddy Merckx, Bel (1969-75) - 34 Bernard Hinault, Fra (1978-86) - 28 Andre Leducq, Fra (1927-35) - 25 Mark Cavendish, GB (2008 to present) - 23 Lance Armstrong, US (1993-2005) - 22 Andre Darrigade, Fra (1953-64) - 22 Nicolas Frantz, Lux (1924-29) - 20 Francois Faber, Fra (1908-14) - 19 But having worn the yellow jersey for 13 consecutive stages, Wiggins showed why Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford has placed so much faith in his man as he accumulated a winning margin of more than three minutes. The margin of Wiggins' victory also answered many of those who questioned why Froome, who appeared marginally stronger in the mountains, was not Team Sky's Tour leader.

Team Sky themselves achieved the rare feat of a 1-2 on the podium, the first since 1996, when Dane Bjarne Riis finished ahead of his German team-mate at Telekom, Jan Ullrich. It is also the first time compatriots have taken the first two places since France's Laurent Fignon finished ahead of five-time winner Bernard Hinault in the 1984 edition. Frenchman Thomas Voeckler of Europcar won the polka dot jersey for the race's best climber, with Sagan of the Liquigas team easily securing the green jersey in the points competition. Tom Fordyce's view "This Tour win has secured Wiggins alongside Steve Redgrave, Daley Thompson, Chris Hoy, Ian Botham and Bobby Moore in the public sporting consciousness" Read more of our chief sports writer's thoughts American Tejay Van Garderen made up for BMC team leader Cadel Evans' disastrous title defence by winning the race's white jersey for the best-placed rider aged 25 and under.

Evans, who made history by becoming Australia's first champion in 2011, finished nearly 16 minutes behind Wiggins, although he did suffer with stomach problems during the final week. Top five on final stage: 1. Mark Cavendish (GB) Team Sky 3:08:07" 2. Peter Sagan (Svk) @ same time 3. Matthew Goss (Aus) Orica GreenEdge 4. Juan Jose Haedo (Arg) Saxo Bank 5. Kris Boeckmans (Bel) Vacansoleil Final overall standings: 1. Bradley Wiggins (GB) Team Sky 87h 34' 47'' 2. Christopher Froome (GB) Team Sky @ 3'21" 3. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas @ 6'19" 4. Jurgen van den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Belisol @ 10'15" 5.

Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC @ 11'04" Christopher Froome | Riders | Cyclingnews.com Christopher Froome UCI: GBR19850520 Chris Froome is a Kenyan born British cyclist who currently races for Team Sky. He started his career as a pro with Team Barloworld in 2007 before joining Team Sky in 2010. He finished second in the 2012 Tour de France behind teammate Bradley Wiggins , then went on to win it in 2013. After crashing out of the 2014 edition of the race, Froome bounced back to stamp his authority on the race by winning the 2015 and 2016 Tours. 2014 Although his second straight Tour of Oman victory hinted at a repeat of his 2013 dominance, 2014 proved to be a disappointing year for Froome. He struggled with illness and his Tour of Romandie win was overshadowed by a controversial and hastily-granted Theraputic Use Exemption (TUE) for a corticosteroid.

He had once again he built his season around the Tour de France but as defending champion he was forced to abandon the race on stage five with fractures to his hand and wrist. He came back for the Vuelta a Espana and played out a series of entertaining scraps with Alberto Contador, but came off second best. Still, it was his fourth straight season with a Grand Tour podium finish. 2nd General Classification, Vuelta a Espana 1st General Classification, 1st Stage 5, Tour of Oman 1st General Classification, 1st Stage 5, Tour de Romandie 1st Stages 1 & 2, 1st Points, Critérium du Dauphiné 2013 The year when Froome came of age. No longer condemned to playing second fiddle behind Bradley Wiggins, he dominated the stage race calendar in much the same way as his compatriot had in 2012. His wins included the Tour of Oman, the Criterium International, the Tour of Romandie and the Criterium du Dauphine, while he was second behind Vincenzo Nibali at Tirreno-Adriatico.

Then came the Tour de France, which Froome had set his sights on since the start of the year. He took the yellow jersey on stage eight to Ax 3 Domaines, put time into his rivals on the two individual time trials and won again atop Mont Ventoux. With the exception of a blip in the crosswinds and a bonk halfway up Alpe d’Huez, it was a dominant display with a final winning margin of over four minutes.

1st General Classification, 1st Stages 8, 5 & 17, Tour de France 1st General Classification, 1st Stage 5 Critérium du Dauphiné 1st General Classification, 1st Points, 1st Stage 5 Tour of Oman 1st General Classification, 1st Stage 3, Critérium International 1st General Classificaiton, Tour de Romandie 2nd General Classification, 1st Stage 4 Tirreno-Adriatico 2012 After a breakthrough performance at the 2011 Vuelta a Espana, Froome was an increasingly important figure at Team Sky, although 2012 saw him largely play the role of domestique to Bradley Wiggins. He was a key part of Wiggins’ Tour de France victory, despite causing controversy on stage 11 to La Toussuire when he attacked his leader before being ordered to drop back. He then won an Olympic medal, taking bronze in the time trial behind Wiggins and Tony Martin.

At the Vuelta he slugged it out for the leader’s jersey with the likes of Alberto Contador and Joaquim Rodriguez before fading with fatigue in the second half of the race. 2nd General Classification, 1st Sage 7, Tour de France 3rd ITT, Olympic Games 4th General Classification, Vuelta a Espana 4th General Classification, Critérium du Dauphiné 2011 Second place at the Vuelta a Espana marks 2011 out as Froome’s breakthrough year. He finished ahead of team leader Bradley Wiggins and had he not been held back by his team loyalties he might have gone one better on the podium. It was to be the first episode in the Froome-Wiggins soap opera. The diagnosis of the parasitic disease Bilharzia at the end of 2010 - and the treatment that has allowed for – was credited with his transformation into a rider capable of Grand Tour podiums.

2nd General Classification, 1st Stage 17, Vuelta a Espana 3rd General Classification, Tour of Beijing Words by Patrick Fletcher Wiggins wins Tour de France - The Portland Press Herald Wiggins wins Tour de France Bradley Wiggins becomes the first Briton to win the cycling race. By The Associated Press Read Article PARIS — Bradley Wiggins became the first British cyclist to win the Tour de France by protecting the yellow jersey during today’s final processional ride into Paris. He also helped Sky teammate Mark Cavendish earn his fourth straight sprint victory on the Champs-Elysees. Wiggins secured his win with a dominating performance in Saturday’s final time trial to extend his already commanding lead. Fellow Briton and Sky teammate Christopher Froome finished second, 3 minutes, 21 seconds behind overall. Vincenzo Nibali of Italy finished third, 6:19 off the pace. Additional Photos Bradley Wiggins, winner of the 2012 Tour de France, is congratulated by Michael Rogers of Australia after crossing the line of the 20th stage of the race today in Paris.

He is the first Briton to win the race, AP Search photos available for purchase: Photo Store → The last time two riders from the same nation finished first and second in the Tour was in 1984, when Frenchman Laurent Fignon defeated Bernard Hinault. Cavendish claimed his 23rd Tour stage win and third this year. He also became the first reigning world champion to win on the Champs-Elysees. As expected, Wiggins repaid Cavendish for his efforts earlier in the race and led the Sky train in the final mile of the 74-mile stage before leaving his place to Edvald Boasson Hagen, who delivered a perfect lead-out for Cavendish. Cavendish accelerated coming out of the final corner, never looked back and raised four fingers as he crossed the line. The seven stage wins was a record haul for British riders in the Tour, beating the previous record of six stage wins in 2009 – when all were won by Cavendish. This time the victories were divided up between Cavendish (3), Wiggins (2), David Millar (1) and Froome (1).

Wiggins and his teammates were at the font of the pack as it arrived on the streets of Paris for eight laps of a 4-mile circuit on the Champs-Elysees. Veteran rider George Hincapie, competing in his 17th consecutive and final Tour, led the peloton onto the prestigious avenue alongside fellow American Chris Horner. With Sky determined to help Cavendish secure a fourth consecutive win in Paris, Horner and Hincapie were immediately reined in. Several other riders tried to break away but the peloton was not ready to give them any slack as the race passed some of the capital’s most iconic monuments such as the Louvre museum, the Eiffel tower and the Place de la Concorde. Six riders including Jens Voigt of Germany finally escaped from the back with 18 miles to go. They had a maximum lead of 30 seconds but were progressively reeled in as Liquigas and Sky organized the chase. Share Bradley Wiggins wins 2012 Tour de France as Cavendish takes final stage - Cycling Weekly Cycling Weekly 0shares 0shares History has been made.

Bradley Wiggins (Sky) won the 2012 Tour de France overall in Paris on Sunday, becoming the first British rider to take the victory in the most prestigious event in the cycling calendar. And team-mate Mark Cavendish took an unprecedented fourth consecutive win on the Champs Élysées to top off a remarkable Tour. A chunk of Britain was transported to the iconic Champs Élysées, as Union-flag-waving fans turned out in force to celebrate what must rank as the country’s greatest cycling triumph. And they were there to celebrate Britain’s most accomplished all-round cyclist, who adds the yellow jersey to six Olympic medals, three of them gold. Wiggins’ Sky team-mate and fellow Brit Chris Froome finished in second place crowning what has been a dominant display by Team Sky over the past three weeks in France. Italian Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) finished third overall, six minutes and 19 seconds behind Wiggins. By his own admission, he was unable to compete with the Sky duo. Defending champion Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) also suffered during the race, but hung on to a respectable seventh place overall.

Wiggins’ Tour campaign has been faultless. After placing second behind Fabian Cancellara (RadioShack) in the opening prologue in Liege, Wiggins kept himself out of trouble in a crash-festooned first week. He then took charge of the overall classification after stage seven to La Planche des Belles Filles, and then took his first Tour stage win in the time trial two days later. Wiggins’ grip on the yellow jersey tightened in the Alps and Pyrenees, where the combined effort of Froome and Wiggins dispensed their rivals with an air of cool calm. Any doubt of which of the two talented Britons should be leading Sky was dispelled on Saturday, when Wiggins obliterated the field in the final time trial, winning by well over a minute over Froome, who himself had put in a stellar ride to place well ahead of Luis Leon Sanchez (Rabobank). Final stage action The day started in Rambouillet with the traditional final day procession featuring photo opportunities for the press and a tangible sense of relief from the remaining 153 riders in the race that they’d made it to Paris.

As soon as the riders hit the cobbles of the Champs Élysées the pace upped. With a flurry of attacks led by Jens Voigt (RadioShack-Nissan). The German was eventually joined by ten other riders and they quickly opened up a gap of 30 seconds and sustained the advantage until the final 10 kilometres when only Voigt, Rui Costa (Movistar) and Sebastien Minard (Ag2r) remained. Behind, a combination of Sky and Liquigas-Cannondale riders led the bunch to try and bring it all back together for a bunch sprint for Mark Cavendish and Peter Sagan respectively. The escape were caught in the final few kilometres as Wiggins hit the front of the bunch to enormous cheers from the crowd. Wiggins blistering pace set up the Sky train to deliver Cavendish to his third stage win of the 2012 race, and his fourth consecutive victory on the Tour’s final stage. It was a very fitting end to a very British Tour, where the Brits won seven stages – a third of the total.

Green jersey sensation Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) finished in second place, with Australian Matt Goss (Orica-GreenEdge) in third. A year of firsts As well as this being Britain’s first Tour win in the race’s 99 editions, there are a number of other records set this year. Wiggins’ win aside, Froome’s second place is the first time that a Briton has stood on the second step of the podium at the Tour. It’s the first time that four different British riders – Wiggins, Froome, Cavendish and Millar – have won stages in the same edition of the race. Wiggins sets a new British record for the most amount of days spent in the yellow jersey – 13. Incidentally, Britain becomes the 13th nation to provide a Tour de France winner. Wiggins is also the first Olympic gold medallist to win the Tour overall. And now he goes into the London 2012 Games as outright favourite to win gold in the time trial event.

On stage 18, Cavendish equalled sprinter Andre Darrigade’s stage win record set between 1953 and 1964 for a sprinter when he claimed his 22nd stage victory. Cavendish’s 23rd stage win in Paris means he is now the Tour’s most successful sprinter of all time. The outright record for most stage wins is held by Eddy Merckx, with 34 victories. It was also a full set of firsts for the other classifications: Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) took three stages and earned the green jersey in his debut Tour. Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) gave the home nation plenty to cheer about once again with two stage wins and the King of the Mountains title. American Tejay Van Garderen (BMC Racing) marked himself out as a future Grand Tour contender with solid rides in the mountains and time trials to win the youth classification. RadioShack-Nissan won the team classification, some consolation for what has been a torrid Tour for the team that hit a low with the departure of Frank Schleck after he tested positive for a banned diuretic during the race.

As well as a Tour of firsts, it’s a Tour of lasts – for George Hincapie (BMC Racing), Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) and Jens Voigt (RadioShack-Nissan). All three veteran professionals have now completed their final Tour. In the case of Hincapie, he sets a new record of 17 participations and equalled Joop Zoetemelk’s record of 16 Tour finishes. Results Tour de France 2012, stage 20: Rambouillet to Paris, Champs-Élysées, 120km 1. Mark Cavendish (GBr) Sky in 3-08-07 2. Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale 3. Matt Goss (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge 4. Juan Jose Haedo (Arg) Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 5. Kris Boeckmans (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM 6. Greg Henderson (NZl) Lotto-Belisol 7. Borut Bozic (Slo) Astana 8.

Andre Greipel (Ger) Lotto-Belisol 9. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky 10. Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Saur-Sojasun all same time Other 54. Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky at 9 secs Final overall classification 1. Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky in 87-34-47 2. Chris Froome (GBr) Sky at 3-21 3. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale at 6-19 4. Jurgen Van den Broeck (Bel) Lotto-Belisol at 10-15 5. Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing at 11-04 6. Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) Radioshack-Nissan at 15-41 7. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing at 15-49 8. Pierre Rolland (Fra) Europcar at 16-26 9.

Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana at 16-33 10. Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ-BigMat at 17-17 Others 12. Nicolas Roche (Irl) Ag2r-La Mondiale at 19-33 35. Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin-Sharp at 1-25-23 95. Stephen Cummings (GBr) BMC Racing at 2-47-03 106. David Millar (GBr) Garmin-Sharp at 2-55-24 142. Mark Cavendish (GBr) Sky at 3-28-36 Points competitions (green jersey) 1. Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale King of the Mountains (polka-dot jersey) 1. Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Europcar Youth classification (white jersey) 1.

Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team classification tommy brunt superb photo.{on podium,arms aloft,podium girls either side,with arc de triumph in background.where can i buy such an iconic print/poster please??? mark Amazing to see after all these years of watching the tour been able to cheer so many british wins. I think i’m right in saying that just one move record that wasn’t mentioned, Cav is the first sprinter to take four consecutive wins on the Champs-Elysees. Mick W Well Done all at Team Sky , that was well worth the subscription fee !……..Just need ( Sir ) Dave Brailsford to come up with a five year plan to sort out the mess this country`s in ! roginoz well done wiggo . well done winners of all other categories and stages . goodbye vino voight and hincapie . hello new bloods .

however you cant compare cavendish wins to eddy’s as the latters were in all categories and also so many others in stage races and classics –flat , hilly , mountainous Terry Tour de France 2012: live - Telegraph Tour de France Tour de France 2012: live All the action and colour from stage 20 of the 99th edition of the Tour de France, the 120 km route from Rambouillet to the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Historic: Wiggins in yellow leads Cavendish into Paris Photo: GETTY IMAGES Image 1 of 4 Take a bow: Christopher Froome, Richie Porte and Edvald Boasson Hagen join yellow jersey holder Bradley Wiggins on the route into Paris Photo: GETTY IMAGES Image 1 of 4 Get ready: The jersey-winning quartet Tejay Van Garderen, Bradley Wiggins, Peter Sagan and Thomas Voeckler prepare to set off for the final stage of the Tour de France Image 1 of 4 Home straight: Bradley Wiggins will win the Tour de France this afternoon, providing he can complete the final stage.

Photo: AP This page will automatically update every 90 secondsOn Off • Bradley Wiggins crosses line in Paris to confirm victory • Mark Cavendish wins record 23rd Tour sprint • TeamSky take a British 1-2 finish with Wiggins and Chris Froome • Why not buy The Telegraph's book of the Tour de France Latest MARK CAVENDISH WINS THE SPRINT! WIGGINS WINS THE TOUR! Wrap: No one could get on to the Manxman's wheel. One look over his shoulder and he speeds over the line. Sagan and Goss were battling for second. It wasn't a textbook sprint finish but Cav signals four on his finger. He becomes the first world champion to win on the Champs-Élysées. Behind, Wiggins claps over his head. History has been cemented. A great day for Sky. A stage win, a Tour win and the first time a Briton receives the yellow jersey. Let's put this into perspective: no rider has achieved what Wiggins has done (Paris-Nice, Romandie, Criterium etc). Not even the great Eddy Merckx. And what a sight seeing Bradley Wiggins leading out Cavendish.

That's seven stages for British Riders and the yellow jersey for good measure. An amazing day for British sport. Cycling's profile will now go through the roof. So will how the public view this great race. We await the classic shot of Wiggins atop the podium. Lesley Garrett with the national anthem. Here's Cavendish: There was huge pressure on the team to deliver, the only one the team has seen on this Tour really. What a sight to see Bradley and Chris on the front. Then I said 'I'm just going early'. And I did and it's the cherry on the cake to end a great Tour.He Here's Bradley Wiggins now with the traditional podium speech. It's short and sweet. He starts by saying we can draw the raffle numbers now. A few thanks before ending with a belter: "have a safe journey home and don't get too drunk." 16.25 Familiar sight! Cav crosses first. Oh yes! 16.24 Cavendish going from way out! No one can follow. Is he getting in the training ahead of Box Hill? 16.23 Wiggins riding like anything. A flick of the elbow and his race is won.

He pulls off. 16.22 The flamme rouge! One km left. Will this be one final denouement for Sky? Wiggo is on the front! Fantastic. 16.21 Past the Place de la Concorde. Wiggins and Co right at the front. Any sole hopes gone now. The sprint melee is looming. 16.20 A crash in the peloton. Mon dieu! Okay, Wiggins is okay. Not sure who it was, but no main threat. 16.20 Cav just sitting nestled about 15 bikes back in the peloton with 4kms left. Right in Cav's wheel? The thighs of Peter Sagan and Tyler Farrar. 16.17 Ten second gap. Two vital corners to negotiate and one massive sprint. This one won't be a day for the breakaways. We're in for the sprint for sure. 16.16 Liquigas, Lotto and Sky at the front. Oh, this Sky train is impressive. But so is Saxobanks. 16.15 FINAL LAP! Minard, Costa and a lung-busting effort from Voigt see an advantage of 18secs.

The breakaway is now down to a trio of riders. Each doing their turn at the front with six kms left. 16.10 The riders hogging the gutter section. Better paving! Nine kms left. They've got the breakaway in view (at 22"). &amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Brendan gallagher - Sunny Paris reminding everybody that sooner or later it must get olympics again. What a city &amp;lt;a href="" target="_blank"&amp;gt;#TDF&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/iframe&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;16.10 / 13.5kms to go&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt; Minard goes alone off the front. The chasers are assessing and freewheeling. This is playing into the hands of the main peloton. And sure enough the gap has closed to 20secs. In this type of finish the peloton usually time the threats to perfection. Today will surely be no different.

&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;16.05&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt; 20kms to go and there is a 30secs gap. Sky are playing the waiting game, there are a lot of interested teams - notably Liquigas, turning the revs for their man &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Peter Sagan&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt; - at the front, too. The Place de la Concorde is rammed. &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;16.00&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt; Okay, I've given you three hours of celebratory preamble but let's continue for one last moment with four laps remaining and Sky doing the work at the front. Let's hail &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Brad Wiggins&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;.

For three stressful weeks he has led Sky by example, twice leading out his sprinters out in the final week, which is unheard of from the race leader, while he ordered the peloton to behave when young turks wanted to attack after reigning champion Cadel Evans became a victim of sabotage. Le Gentleman indeed. &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;img alt="" src=""&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;15.55 &amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;Those in the breakaway include names we have barely heard from in the last 3,500kms.

&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Jens Voigt &amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;(RNT) started it off, followed by Minard (ALM), Lund (STB), Bak (LTB), Burghardt (BMC), Edet (COF) and Tankink (RAB) &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;15.50&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt; Finally we see the impressive Sky train gearing up for Cav. But there are 14 teams without a stage win on this Tour. This is going to be far from comfortable before the sprint m&amp;amp;ecirc;l&amp;amp;eacute;e. Meanwhile, there is some normality with nine riders out together. &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;15.40&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt; On to the third lap. Concentration time for Wiggo. Team Sky's job now is to keep the pace high as riders continue to break from the front.

The two leaders have a 12secs gap with 35kms left. The peloton resembles a broken snake. Paris is a picture. &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;img alt="" src=""&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;15.30 &amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;Team Sky oblivious to an attack. And why not. It's stalwart &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;George Hincapie&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;, of BMC, in his 17th and last Tour. Radioshack's &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Christopher Horner&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt; joins his wheel.

&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;We're racing!&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt; &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;15.27&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt; Before the pace gets hectic, have to mention that Rouflaquettes made the Telegraph this morning. It means sideburns &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;bien sur&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;. And is close second to my favourite word, &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;quincaillierie&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; (hardware store) &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;img height="40" src="" alt="E-mail" width="45" align="left"&amp;gt; &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;15.25&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt; &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;/ 51 kms to go &amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;...

and &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Peter Rowntree&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt; is adamant of one thing. "I was born in 1946, I am a committed cricket fan, but this beats winning the ashes, and the 1966 World Cup, great as those moments were. This is simply the greatest sporting achievement in my lifetime. Bradley Wiggins has been absolutely superb for both his riding and how he has conducted himself throughout the tour - a truly great champion." &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;15.20&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt; The bunch are approaching the streets of Paris. Indeed, the Eiffel Tower comes into view. Mark Cavendish is at the front of the peloton alongside Austrian team-mate Bernhard Eisel. Goss, Greipel, Sagan or Cav? Sounds like a newly-found Euro band quartet. Anyway, it now looks set up for a mammouth sprint finish.

&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;img height="40" src="" alt="E-mail" width="45" align="left"&amp;gt; &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;15.10 / 60 kms to go&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt; Here's &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Lindsey Wells &amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;in Orlando, unable to view Wiggins's sideburns in the US. So she's sent a message to Team Sky instead: "To Mark Cavendish, Chris Froome, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Ritchie Porte, Christian Knees, Bernhard Eisel, Michael Rogers and Kanstantsin Siutsou, thank you for making this the most amazing Tour de France with your tireless, unselfish, team support in helping Bradley to win the Yellow Jersey.

Truly outstanding effort and well done to all of you as you are ALL winners." &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;iframe src="" width="460" height="114" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" id="tweetframe2270358961999134736674792451342964803"&amp;gt;&amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Geraint Thomas - Has the yellow jersey ever lead out his world champion on the Champs &amp;amp;Eacute;lys&amp;amp;eacute;es?? Doubt it &amp;lt;a href="" target="_blank"&amp;gt;#British&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt; 15.05 So, what's the deal with this slow pace? Well, this final stage is generally seen as an agreement between the riders where no breakaways are forged.

Even if Wiggins punctured, the peloton would wait. Hostilities will be revived when the bunch get to Paris, with eight laps and one last gruelling effort. Rather like the one 25 years ago today . Relive Phil Liggett's fantastic commentary at Stephen Roche's comeback at Laurent Fignon in the '87 Tour. 14.45 "Is this Britain's most momentous win in sport since England won the World Cup in 66?" asks Graham Merfield. The great debate continues. There have been a few who have denounced Wiggins's win being just that. And it is a hard one to quantify. But let's consider this: a Briton has just won sport's toughest event. Robert Millar, David Millar and Chris Boardman have made their mark in the past and we've had Tours featuring no Brits in the recent past. When L'Equipe splashes with ' À L'heure Anglaise ', you know this is unprecedented. Does it usurp the Ashes? No, but it's very close. 14.35 Thought we'd seen the last of tongue-wagging Tommy Voeckler (EUC)? Not a bit of it.

The Frenchman beam wide, riding across the line of the first of today's two hills to claim the solitary one point on offer. The other riders give Voeckler another moment in the sun. 14.30 For those who are getting to grips with both Wiggins's achievement and an understanding of the sport, have a look at Europsport's twitter timeline, urging readers to write in with their daft cycling dictionary game . Sport going to the next level. 14.25 The peloton has covered the first hour in a fairly sedate 31.7km, that's some way short than the average stage. Before the stage hots up, we have to summon the thoughts of Team Sky chief Dave Brailsford, the man who has transformed his knowledge from track to road with stunning success. A lot of people laughed when we said that we could win this race in five years with a clean British rider. I'd never have said that we could do it unless I really believed that we could. We were serious about it, we'd done our homework, we knew what Bradley was capable of and what a British team would be capable of - and we set about it.

14.20 As Tim Brosnan rightly points out: "The winner does get 350,000 but by tradition he shares it amongst the team – not keeping it for himself." 14.15 / 95kms to go. The main bunch are out of the saddle for the first time. Still on Sunday pace and heading towards the two Category 4 (smallish) climbs. Meanwhile, the weather is a fine 23C. Paris is awash with British flags and sunshine. Britain's own liberation pageantry if you will. Life is really rather good. 14.10 But first there is how it will affect Bradley Wiggins, in what will be dubbed the £7m triumph. A post in numbers: • Marketing experts estimate Wiggins will be able to command new sponsorship deals worth around £5m on the back of becoming the first Briton to win the Tour. • Wiggins earns around £1.5m a year from Team Sky. • The winner of the Tour gets £350,000 in prize money.

• Wiggins will also be paid £270 for each stage in which he wore the yellow jersey and £6,200 for stage wins. • Wiggins is sponsored by clothing label Fred Perry. He helped design a range of shirts based on classic cycling tops. 14.00 Some say this year's race has been tarnished by Team Sky stifling out the excitement. More tosh! Times change in sport, in an age where sports science is now key. From a British perspective, this race is going to be the catalyst for things to come. It is going to completely change the face of cycling. It will affect transport. The industry will go into overdrive. More will get on a bike. Understanding of the Tour and its meaning will also change. Non? &amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Matt McGeehan - Wiggins speaking to Evans.

He was inspired by watching the Aussie win in 2011, while recovering from his broken collarbone &amp;lt;a href="" target="_blank"&amp;gt;#TdFpa&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt; 13.50 The Tour snappers en route are earning their crust today. Here's the Sky team - less Kanstantsin Siutsou of Belarus, who crashed out on fourth day - hogging the road. 13.45 There will be some race reportage I can assure you, but for now we continue this historic tale. Ian Chadband was on superb form this morning : You could argue, as Wiggins himself had said earlier last week, that, ultimately, it actually would not matter if he won the Tour by one second or one hour. Achieving what no other Briton has ever done was the only thing of import here. Yet the manner in which Wiggins greeted his moment of destiny here in Chartres gave the lie to all this.

A primal scream as he put another one-and-a-quarter minutes between himself and the rest of the world revealed how much it meant to him to win like the great champions he would once look up to on his bedroom wall in Kilburn. 13.30 Told you it wouldn't be an average day in the saddle as far as action goes (until Paris at least). Here's a couple of sheep congratulating Wiggo before the off. Stray sheep nearly hampered Alberto Contador's race in 2010 on one climb. Today's largely processional route should see Wiggo free from any perils. 13.25 Moreover, Froome is likely to lead Team Sky's assault at the Vuelta a Espana. Last year's tour remains Sky’s best ever finish in a Grand Tour. Froome Service finished second, Wiggo third. That will, of course, change today with a British one-two on the podium. C'est chouette! 13.20 First reports from the road out of Rambouillet. And as expected, a slow pace. Wiggins and team-mate Chris Froome are having a leisurely chat.

Ah yes, a word on Froome, who will finish second overall, 3min 21sec behind his team-mate. Yes, at times he was superior in the mountains and there was talk of indifference. Tosh! The pair shared a friendly lunch before yesterday's time trial and Wiggo put any issues to bed: A lot of people would like there to be a story because perhaps there hasn’t been much to write about but there is no issue, no problem. The reasons we have been good this year is that we are a team. Next year it could be him winning the Tour de France. 13.15 The Tour chiefs have slightly dented the procession to Paris with a couple of category climbs early doors. Once that is over, the bunch will head towards Paris before the final act: eight laps and a sprint finish on the Champs-Elysées. Mark Cavendish is going for his fourth straight win in the French capital. Moreover, a 23rd Tour win will see the Manxman become the fourth most prolific winner in race history, ahead of Lance Armstrong. 13.05 The peloton is about to start rolling out of Rambouillet. What can we expect in the opening salvos?

Not a lot of revolution-shifting to be honest, bar a couple of breakaways to appease team sponsors. We'll get images of teams and rivals linking arms and laughing. Further up the field, the champagne will be out and the smiles will be wide. Each of the prize jersey wearers - Tejay van Garderen, Bradley Wiggins, Peter Sagan and Thomas Voeckler - has a bike coloured the same as their jerseys: white, yellow, green and red spots on white, respectively. 13.00 Got it, flaunt it. Team Sky flew out a specialist spray paint team to align their team cars with the colour of the maillot jaune. This is the result. 12.50 And what do you know, here's Paul Weller himself offering his congratulations to Wiggins, a self-styled Mod: I want to wish Bradley luck for the finale of the Tour de France. It is great he’s doing so well and it shows the years of hard work pay off. Good luck mate. 12.45 Nearly 25 years of following this great sporting event and then this comes along (shortly after Wiggo won yesterday's stage).

"I could go on for hours and I'd probably will but I'd sooner see Brad in yellow in a Town Called Paris" Chapeau Carol! 12.40 Before we chart this historic stage for British cycling, gander at how Wiggo confirmed yellow yesterday: Wiggins becomes first British cyclist to win Tour de France | Fox News Wiggins becomes first British cyclist to win Tour de France Published July 22, 2012 Facebook 0 Twitter 0 Email Print July 22, 2012: Bradley Wiggins, winner of the 2012 Tour de France cycling race kisses the trophy on the podium of the the Tour de France cycling race in Paris, France. (AP) Bradley Wiggins became the first British cyclist to win the Tour de France by protecting the yellow jersey during Sunday's final processional ride into Paris. He also helped Sky teammate Mark Cavendish earn his fourth straight sprint victory on the Champs-Elysees. Wiggins secured his win with a dominating performance in Saturday's final time trial to extend his already commanding lead. Fellow Briton and Sky teammate Christopher Froome finished second, 3 minutes, 21 seconds behind overall.

Vincenzo Nibali of Italy finished third, 6:19 off the pace. "It's been a magical couple of weeks for the team and for British cycling," Wiggins said. "Some dreams come true. My mother over there, she's now -- her son has won the Tour de France." The last time two riders from the same nation finished first and second in the Tour was in 1984, when Frenchman Laurent Fignon defeated Bernard Hinault. Wiggins congratulated his teammates after crossing the line, gave a big hug to his wife and clutched the hands of their children. The 32-year-old lanky Londoner blew kisses and bowed to a sea of union jacks. After a soprano sang "God Save The Queen", Wiggins thanked the crowd with a touch of British humor. "Cheers, have a safe journey home, don't get too drunk," said Wiggins, who wrote in his autobiography about overcoming drinking problems after his early successes in the Velodrome. Cavendish claimed his 23rd Tour stage win and third this year. He also became the first reigning world champion to win on the Champs-Elysees.

As expected, Wiggins repaid Cavendish for his efforts earlier in the race and led the Sky train in the final mile of the 74-mile stage before leaving his place to Edvald Boasson Hagen, who delivered a perfect lead-out for Cavendish. Cavendish accelerated coming out of the final corner, never looked back and raised four fingers as he crossed the line. The seven stage wins was a record haul for British riders in the Tour, beating the previous record of six stage wins in 2009 -- when all were won by Cavendish. This time the victories were divided up between Cavendish (3), Wiggins (2), David Millar (1) and Froome (1). Wiggins and his teammates were at the font of the pack as it arrived on the streets of Paris for eight laps of a 4-mile circuit on the Champs-Elysees. Veteran rider George Hincapie, competing in his 17th consecutive and final Tour, led the peloton onto the prestigious avenue alongside fellow American Chris Horner. With Sky determined to help Cavendish secure a fourth consecutive win in Paris, Horner and Hincapie were immediately reined in.

Several other riders tried to break away but the peloton was not ready to give them any slack as the race passed some of the capital's most iconic monuments such as the Louvre museum, the Eiffel tower and the Place de la Concorde. Six riders including Jens Voigt of Germany finally escaped from the back with 18 miles to go. They had a maximum lead of 30 seconds but were progressively reeled in as Liquigas and Sky organized the chase. Advertisement

Question: Which English cyclist finished second behind Bradley Wiggins in the 2012 Tour de France?
Answer: CHRIS FROOME